Apparatus for rejuvenating ball-point pens



y 1957 H. w. WALDEN 2,800,275

" APPARATUS FOR REJUVENATING BALL-POINT PENS Filed Aug. 19, 1955 22FIG.3.1

INVENTOR I Henry W.Walden 27 27 I ATTORNEY United States Patent-O2,800,275 APPARATUS FOR nng i tgi NArmc BALL-POINT Henry W.- Walden,NewYork, N. Y.. Application August19, H55, Serial No. 529,553

" 8 Claims (Cl. 233-26) which usually consists of a relatively slendertube composed of either plastic material or metal and provided at. oneend with a metallic tip in which the ball-point is rotatively mounted.The ink contained in these cartridges is of a viscous nature and this,coupled with the small internal diameter of the body of the cartridge,often causes a substantial portion of the ink to adhere to the walls ofthe tube and never reach the ball-point. Also, at times air will enterthe tube or cartridge, and will be trappedtherein in a manner to preventflow of the ink toward the point with the result that the pen will notwrite and the user mistakenly believes that the ink supply in'thecartridge'is depleted. As a result, he will purchase a new cartridge,despite the fact that the supposed empty one contains a substantialamount of ink or is often very nearly full and able to provide manylines of writing if the ink containedin it was caused to reach theball-point. Very often also, the user of a pen of this kind for asubstantial period will discard a half-empty cartridge when the penceases to write, believing that the ink supply isexhausted whereas theamountof ink adherent to the inner wall surfaces of the cartridge wouldbe suflicient to greatly-increase the period of writing usefulness ofthe cartridge. 1 v

It is therefore an object of the present'invention toprovide arelatively'simple apparatus bymeans of which ball-point pens, containingan apparently-empty cartridge, can be give'n; a further useful period ofwriting.

It is anobject of-jthe invention toprovide an apparatus of thls kindwhichwill tend to dislodge adherent orsluggish 111k within the barrelor, tube of. the cartridge of the pen in-a manner to cause saidinkto bedirected toward and againstthe ball-point so that the same will utilizesuch ink for smooth and easy Writing." 7 1 t It is, an object of theinvention to provide an apparatus as above mentioned which will enablethe ink in a cartridge to be loosened and forced toward the pointwithout requiring the cartridge to be removed from the pen during therejuvenation treatment.

It is an object of the invention to provide means by which acartridgercontaining pen will be centrifuged by a simple and effectivemechanism to cause the ink in the cartridge to be forced toward thepoint. It is an object of the. invention .to provide means which can becoincontrolled ifdesired, for subjecting the pen to. the actionof'centrifugal force for a given period of-time, to thereby With these,and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devisedthe arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointedout in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed,

Fig. l" is :a vertical sectionalviewof an apparatus con-'- structedaccording tothe invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2f2 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

'Fig. 3is a'front elevatio'nal view, on a smaller scale, of.

the apparatus;

.Fig. 4 is a side elevational view on a small scale the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the.

line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the.

arrows.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates generally the" casing or' housingof the machine. The same maybe constructed of metal, plastic or of anyother suitable material, and it includes a bottom wall 26 provided withvsuitable supporting feet 27 upon which the machine can be rested on asuitable supporting surface such as a'table or desk top. Secured by thescrews or rivets 25 upon the bottom 26, is a bracket 3 upon which ismountedan electric motor 2. The shaft 5 of the motor. 2 is secured by-aset screw in a boss 6 provided centrally on a tube another boss 13 inwhich a spindle 12 is secured by a set ;screw, said spindle beingrotatively mounted in the'side *wall of the housing 1. Secured on thespindle 11 and located exteriorly of the casing 1, is a knob 14 providedwith a pointer 20. The pointer is employed to indicate the point ofloading of the pen into the tube 8 and the point of ejection for thepen. Provided on the tube or cylinder 8 is an annular rim 18 which doesnot close the open top of the tube 8, nor does it extend over theremovable plug 9 at the closedend ofthe tube. The'rim 13 is rigidlysecured to, and rotates with, the tube 8 and it is rotative within acircular chamber formed by the arcuate top 28 of the casing 1 and acurved strip 21 secured within the lower part of the casing 1;; a

The apparatus is designed to be operated by the closing of a switch,which can, if desired, be a time-switch that is coin-controlled, so thatupon deposit of the pen into the tube 5 through the entrance opening 17in the housing, and the deposit of a coin through a coin slot 22, themotor 2 will be set in operation to rapidly rotate the tube 8 for apredetermined time.

A coin-controlled switch is indicated at 7, and since" switch to themotor 2. As an alternative for a coincontrolled switch, a conventionalmanually-operated switch mounted within or on the casing 1 and operatedexternally of the casing may be employed.

From the foregoing, the operation of the pen-rejuvenating machine willbe readily understood. A pen to be ca'nlassujre himself of suchregistration by manually turn- I rejuvenated is dropped through theentrance opening 17 tube is in registry with the inlet opening 17. Theoperator Patented July 23, 1957 ing the knob 14 until the pointer 20thereof is located at the arrow 23 on the side wall of the casing. Anyattempt to deposit the pen in the tube while the open end of the same isdisaligned from the entrance opening 17 will be blocked by the rim 18, apart of which will be then disposed below the opening 17 except when theopen end It) or the plug-closed end 9 of the tube 8 is aligned with 'theopening 17.

The pen is inserted in the tube 8 with the pointed end of the pendisposed downwardly or resting against the closure plug 9 substantiallyas shown in Fig. 1. Switch 7 is then closed either by the deposit of acoin through slot 22,..01' by manual operation, and the motor 2 willthereuponrotate and will rapidly spin the tube or cylinder 8, thusimparting a rapid whirling action on the pen to cause any fluid withinthe cartridge of the pen, such as softened ink, or softened ink mixedwith a solvent, 2. drop of which. might be inserted in the cartridge incases where the ink has hardened, to be urged by centrifugal forcetoward the pointed end of the pen. The pointed end of the pen, beingforced hard against the inner face of the plug 9 will have its balldisplaced slightly from its seat and this action will tend to cause theink to be forced against and around the ball to aid in providing aninitial starting action in writing when the pen is removed from themachine and is used for writing.

After the pen has been whirled for a relatively short time in the mannerdescribed, the motor will cease operation, either by manually openingthe switch 7 or by the automatic timing mechanism therefor, and the penis then ready for removal and writing. This is done by lining up theopen end 10 of the tube 8 with an inclined outlet chute 16 provided inthe front wall of the facing 1. To secure this alignment, the knob 14'is manually turned until its pointer is located at the arrow 24, or ispositioned in the direction shown in Fig. 4. The pen will then slide outby gravity through the chute 16, with its rear end disposed forwardly sothat it cannot soil the fingers. be cleaned whenever desired by removalof the plug 9 and a brush or rag pushed through the tube.

Tests have conclusively shown that by the use of the describedapparatus, pen cartridges which have been discarded as being depleted ofink have had their useful writing life materially increased by theprojection of adherent ink toward and against the ball-point bycentrifugal action when the pen is rotated in the manner hereindescribed.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obviousthat the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough tocover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

. What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for treating ball-point pens comprising, a tube open atone end and closed at its opposite end, a shaft attached to the tube atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the tube, a motor connected tothe shaft for rotating the tube, a casing in which the tube is rotated,the casing having an opening through which a pen is passed to insert thepen into the tube, and guard means carried by the tube for blocking saidopeninghwhen the open end of the tube is disaligned therewlt 2. Anapparatus for treating ball-point pens comprising a casing having acircular chamber, a tubefor holding a pen, said tube being open at oneend and closed at its other end, a motor shaft attached to the tube atright angles to the longitudinal. axis of the tube, the easing having apair of openings, one of the openings being an inlet opening throughwhich a pen is inserted to reach the tube when the tube has its open endaligned with the opening, the second opening being an outlet openingthrough which the pen is ejected after having been centrifuged by therotative movement of the tube, and guard means rotatively carried by thetube for blocking The interior of the tube or cylinder 8 may off both ofthe openings except when the open end 'of the tube is in alignment withone or the other of the openings.

3. In an apparatus as provided for in claim 2, wherein a finger-piece isprovided. on the tube and is located externally of the casing, saidfinger-piece consistingof a knob and pointer, and indicating markings onthe wall of the casing adjacent to the knob and pointer for indicatingthe positions to which the pointer is to be moved in order to have thetube respectively receive and eject the pen.

4. An apparatus for treating ball-point pens comprising a tube open atone end and closed at the other, a

'shaft attached to the tube at right angles to -the longitudinal axisofthetube, a motor connected to the shaft for rotating the tube, a casingin which the tube is rotated, the casing having an opening at thetopthrough which. a pen is passed to insert the same into the tube,guard means carried by the tube for blocking said opening when theopenend of the tube is disaligned therewith, and a coin-controlled timeswitch for causing operation of the motor for a predetermined period.

5. An apparatusfor treating ball-point pens comprising a casing having acircular chamber, a tube for holding a pen, said tube being rotatedwithin said chamber and being open atone end and closed at its otherend, means for removably closing the last-mentioned end, a motor shaftattached to the tube at right angles to the longitudinal axis of thetube, the casing having a pair of openings, one of the openings being aninlet opening through whicha pen is inserted to reach the tube when thetube has its open end aligned with said opening, the second end being anoutlet opening through which the pen is ejected after having beencentrifuged by rotative movement of the tube, and guard means rotativelycarried by the tube for blocking oif both of the openings except whenthe open end of the tube is in alignment therewith. a

6. An apparatus for treating ball point pens comprising a motor, aswitch for controlling current to the motor, the motor having a shaft,2. tube mounted on said shaft transversely of the same, one end ofthetube being closed and the opposite end being open and through whichopen end a ball-point pen is inserted to cause it to come to. rest withits pointed end against the closed end of the tube, a casing'enclosingthe motor and tube-said casing having an entrance opening through whicha pen is passed to reach'theinterior of the tube, and guard means forblocking ofl? the opening'except' when the open end of Y the tube isaligned therewith.

7. In an apparatus for treating ball-point pens; asprovided for in theclaim 6, wherein the guard means" isin the form of an annular rimcarried by the tube, the casing having a circular chamber within it andin which the tube and its attached rim are rotated, s'aid chamber havinga wall extending around the rim, said wall having an outlet openingthrough which a pen is ejected when the tube is halted with the open endof the samein registry with said outlet opening.

8. In an apparatus for treating ball-point pens, a tube in which thepen, containing an ink-holding cartridge, is carried, said tube beingmounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and having a fixed. portionagainst which the ball-point of the pen is in contact, ahorizontallyarranged shaft connected to a motor for rotating the whom amanner to centrifuge" the ink in the cartridge and cause it to be'forcedtoward the ball-point, said centrifugal action being also eifective forforcing the ballpoint of the pen againstits support and thereby slightlydisplace the ball and permit the centrifuged ink to reach and coat theball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,769,889 McClaran July 1, 1930

